At halftime of Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, it appeared that the Minnesota Timberwolves might steal home-court advantage from their host, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Wolves played solid perimeter defense in the half, and Julius Randle had already pumped in 20 points, including 5-6 from beyond the arch. And worst yet, Thunder superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) was having a horrible shooting night, hitting only 2-13 from the field and 0-3 from three-point range.

But in the second half, Oklahoma City woke up and literally ran the Wolves off of the court. They clogged the lane on Randle and Anthony (Ant) Edwards, and the Thunder outscored Minnesota 70-40 in the half to take the first game by a score of 114-88. Edwards was bothered by a sore right ankle, and the swarming Thunder defense forced 17 turnovers, which they converted into 31 points. What must the Wolves do to win Game 2 and even the series?

The Timberwolves Task

First, the real Anthony Edwards must show up for Game 2. Ant has not had a solid 48-minute game since Game 4 of the Lakers’ series. His three-point shooting has been off, and he has not provided the spark that makes him such a special player to this Minnesota team. Randle has been the best Wolves player throughout the playoffs, but with Oklahoma City shutting down the paint in the second part of the game, he was held to 8 second-half points. And Jaden Daniels was in early foul trouble and eventually fouled out of the game with 5:21 remaining.

However, the real daggers that created the Oklahoma City blowout were the Minnesota turnovers and continued lousy three-point shooting. Randle and Edwards combined for nine of those turnovers, and the game’s second half looked like a repeat of the Thunder’s larcenous Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals. And the Wolves bench stars Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were a combined 5-28 from three-point land. This trend cannot continue if Minnesota hopes to stay competitive in this series.

For the Thunder, More of the Same

Other than Gilgeous-Alexander’s errant shooting night, Oklahoma City would take a repeat of Tuesday night that most likely would lead to another W for them. Their pressing, active defense has given teams fits all season, and the Wolves came into this series with turnover issues of their own. The Thunder’s smaller lineup has kept Rudy Gobert and his shot-blocking prowess on the bench for long stretches. And they actually outrebounded Minnesota in Game 1 by a margin of 46-42, led by Jalen Wiliams and Isaiah Joe with eight apiece.

Oklahoma City also received excellent secondary scoring in support of Gilgeous-Alexander. Williams added 19, while Chet Holmgren scored 15 on a tidy 7-10 from the field. Isaiah Hartenstein pitched in 12, and the Thunder bench outscored the potent Minnesota reserve unit 32-26. More importantly, Oklahoma City never lost its composure and refused to get out of rhythm with SGA struggling in the first half. Credit goes to their coach, Mark Daigneault, for keeping a steady hand on the wheel. Interviewed after the game, he said this about his team.

“We got a lot of good players most of the guys on our team could do more. Including Shai as much as he does… There’s no one on the team that’s not parking some role of their own ceiling as individual players in a vacuum for the good of the team.”

Tonight’s Game

So, the Minnesota Timberwolves have a tall task in front of them tonight. Ant has to play like the All-Star that he is and they must significantly cut down on their turnovers. And if their three-point shooting does not improve, this will be a short series and a long off-season for them.

The two teams clash tonght at 7:30 pm CST at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.